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In July 2015 Canberra activist Chris Klootwijk was arrested for blowing a whistle during the ACT Government sanctioned kangaroo cull which hindered the annual shooting operation. Chris faces fines of up to $30,000 and up to two years in jail if found guilty because the ACT government is positioning the blowing of a whistle as a crime.

Along with the new Ag-gag laws such as the newly passed Biosecurity Act 2015 (NSW) and the most recently passed SA Ag-gag bill (‘Surveillance Devices Bill 2015’), the ACT government is determined, in its own way, to stop legitimate protest of its kangaroo culls or attempts to stop the killing. They are doing this by introducing changes to legislation which increases its powers over protests, for example, with huge increases to trespass fines, use of surveillance, or misusing its laws to silence protesters. They are also doing this in other ways such as forbidding protesters to raise their voices and forcing them to stand in silence.

Animal Liberation ACT held protests outside the ACT Magistrates Court on 24 February and 8 April to show support for Chris during his court case and to show activists won’t be silenced or stopped from protecting the animals of the ACT region.

On 31 July 2015 the ACT government's annual kangaroo kill was supposed to end. Instead it finished early, and with fewer animals killed than the government had planned. To mark the lives saved, and the extraordinary efforts of activists who monitored the kill over the past few months and countless sleepless nights, Animal Liberation ACT hosted a 3-course banquet dinner at local vegan restaurant Kingsland.

There were fantastic prizes on offer as part of a silent auction. All proceeds will go to covering the costs involved in defending the kangaroos during the 3 month massacre.

Animal Liberation ACT held a demonstration outside the Pinnacle Nature Reserve to raise awareness about the ‘ghost population’ of joeys killed as a consequence of the government's kangaroo culls. Each year the government obtains a licence to kill thousands of kangaroos, but does not take responsibility for the hundreds of joeys orphaned by the cull and left to die a slow death of starvation without access to their mothers' milk. The event included ‘glow in the dark’ kangaroos as a symbol of the ghost population of joeys killed due to the cull.

ALACT is deeply saddened by the ACT Government’s decision to kill 5,000 healthy wild animals over the next 2 years. As well as sanctioning brutal and cruel treatment of the region’s native wildlife, the decision shows the Government has learnt nothing from last year’s hearing in the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal. For the first time in a hearing about the kills the Tribunal accepted that huge numbers of young orphaned kangaroos escape the shooters only to die slow painful deaths due to starvation or predation.

This ‘ghost population’ of young animals is not included in the 5,000 kangaroos the Government has been licensed to kill. Also for the first time the Tribunal accepted that the administrative processes in ‘proving’ the case for the cull by the relevant government department were sub-standard and flawed. Presumably these same processes were repeated in the lead up to this year’s kill. And once again the government has failed to provide any evidence at all to show that these annual kills have led to tangible conservation benefits.

It is shameful that in the 21st century the government of the nation’s capital resorts to such barbaric treatment of our urban wildlife rather than deal with the real problem affecting the environment: urban growth.

Two big Animal Liberation ACT fundraising stalls were held at the soon-to-be-closed Gorman House Markets in Braddon. Thanks for coming and spending up big for the animals! There were delicious vegan sweets at the Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale stalls and a rare selection of top quality pre-loved & new DVDs, books, clothes & household items at the treasure-only 2nd hand stall.